You know how some of us toss around the word "miracle" so often, it becomes meaningless? (I'm a repeat offender of this, I admit.) Well, here's an amazing story that really is nothing short of miraculous. Kristin Hopkins is a 43-year-old single Colorado mom of four children who was reported missing on April 29. The good news is: she was found alive this past Sunday. The even more amazing news is: Kristin had spent five days trapped in her overturned car without food or water!
Her car reportedly crashed on Highway 285 and fell an insane 80 feet, landing on an embankment. While she waited for help, she spent her days scrawling SOS messages on an umbrella she kept in the car.
As you can imagine, it would be really difficult -- if not impossible -- to see her umbrella notes from all the way up on the highway. According to firefighters, her messages read: "Please help doors won't open," "Please help, bleeding, need a doctor," and "Six days, no food, no water, please help." I get chills just thinking about what this woman went through and how every hour must have felt like a year.
The umbrella wasn't what eventually led to her rescue. A passing motorist, who had stopped to snap photos at a scenic point by the crash site, saw Kristin's destroyed car on the embankment and called for help. Firefighters say they were shocked to find Kristin still alive inside of her car. The mom was severely dehydrated and falling in and out of consciousness. After she was rushed to the hospital via helicopter, doctors determined that she was suffering from serious external and internal injuries. Both of her feet were so badly injured, they will have to be amputated.
But she's expected to survive.
And, as horrible as her injuries sound, I'm betting Kristin is forever grateful for the chance to be reunited with her children. I can't imagine the horrendous thoughts that must have crossed her mind while she was trapped in her car. How many times did she think about her kids -- about who was caring for them and what their nights were like without their mom? We're sending this mom lots of good thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery.
This video will give you a better idea of how difficult it would have been to spot Kristin's vehicle in such a secluded spot off the road:
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
What do you think about this amazing story? Do you believe in miracles after reading about Kristin?
Image via YouTube